17614: On Mark Read Exploring AI Possibilities.

 

Advertising Age interviewed ex-WPP CEO Mark Read, who hyped his AI conference.

Looks like Read is transitioning from failing to extinguish a global flaming dumpster to organizing an obscure conference. The probable next steps include pseudo-consultant and honorary university professor.

Read may inevitably assume a series of roles, and through his performance, demonstrate that each position could be replaced by AI.

Mark Read’s next act—running an AI conference for marketers, agencies and startups

By Brian Bonilla

After seven years at the helm of one of the world’s largest agency holding companies, former WPP CEO Mark Read is running an AI conference called Prompt. The aim is to bring together about 150 people, connecting chief marketing officers and agencies with AI startups to figure out what comes next.

Read, who sold an internet company, WebRewards, to Bertelsmann during the dot-com era in 2001, is once again embracing a startup mentality while trying to help companies navigate the AI space.

The first Prompt took place in London in June. The event is designed for a small group of marketers, AI entrepreneurs and agency executives, with discussions held under Chatham House rules. The format encourages participants to speak frankly, Read said in an interview.

“We’re not trying to compete in any way with CES or even Possible,” said Read. “This is not about scale. It’s really just trying to focus on the intersection of creativity, AI, technology and marketing, and be small.”

Read, who exited WPP late last year, also spent years running Stream, WPP’s technology-focused event. He said that he saw an opportunity to continue connecting marketers with a new generation of companies developing AI applications.

Read said he sees a gap between the AI platforms marketers recognize and the applications they can put to work.

“Everyone knows OpenAI or Claude or Gemini, but on their own, they’re not much use to CMOs, right? They need applications,” he said in an interview with Ad Age. “And I thought, why don’t I see if I can bring these people together?”

Prompt comes to New York Oct. 6, during Advertising Week. Read expects about 150 people at the invite-only event, which is free to attend. Longtime advertising executives David Droga, vice chair of Accenture, and Carolyn Everson, now senior adviser at Permira, are some of the notable speakers. Other participants include CEOs and other senior executives from AI companies such as Profound, Listen Labs and Google.

Asked how much he had personally invested in Prompt, Read said only, “It’s not a massive investment.” He retains control over the speaker lineup.

“Not everyone who’s sponsoring is on stage, and not everyone who’s on stage is sponsoring,” he said.

The gap he sees with AI

Read described himself as a frequent user of Gemini and Claude for different tasks.

“The whole of Prompt is run on those two platforms—from legal advice, financial advice, managing invitations, creating content,” he said.

Read praised AI’s usefulness for startups like his own new venture, noting that established companies face a harder task of retrofitting processes and teams. The conversations Read wants Prompt to host reflect that issue: Companies are adopting AI tools, he said, but their efforts often remain disconnected.

“Too much of AI deployment happens in individual bits,” Read said. Companies need to move beyond experimentation, he said, by connecting applications, establishing sound data governance and focusing on work that can change how the organizations operate.

Read also thinks advertising inside AI tools has yet to realize its potential. “Now, what we have to do—and I don’t think we’ve yet seen this, even from OpenAI—is have an ad experience that fully exploits the power of AI to bring the right message to the right person at the right time,” he said.

He calls that “relevance rather than personalization.” Read cited a personal example of using AI while planning a trip to Alaska, noting that he would have found it useful if the tool had shown him which hotels were available, their prices and any offers while he searched.

Read’s time advising AI companies and using AI tools has also led him to consider how a brand-new agency might operate. “If I were a 25-year-old entrepreneur starting an agency, I’d be saying, ‘How do I embrace all of these tools and start from scratch?’” Read said. “What if you need fewer account executives when AI can take the briefing notes?”

Read remains a WPP shareholder and is keeping an eye on the holding companies.

The industry’s consolidation has been “driven by intense, sometimes irrational competition,” he said, adding that “pressure from procurement has led to an industry with really three major players, which hopefully will create a somewhat more healthy ecosystem for those three companies.”

Read is considering taking Prompt to Berlin, Riyadh and Singapore. Expanding Prompt beyond events is not in his current plans, he said.

Asked whether he has considered starting an agency or agency group himself, Read offered a glimpse of the possibility.

“I think about this,” he said. “Let’s leave it at that.”

17608: Mo’ Motions, No Motion In WPP Whistleblower Lawsuit.

 

MediaPost reported the latest motion sickness in the WPP whistleblower lawsuit, spotlighting a motion filed by the alleged whistleblower opposing a motion filed by the global flaming dumpster to dismiss the case.

Seems like lots of motions without any forward motion.

Foster Files Motion Opposing WPP’s Summary Dismissal Request

By Steve McClellan

Alleged WPP whistleblower Richard Foster filed a motion Friday opposing WPP’s request that the New York State Supreme Court judge hearing the case toss it before it goes to trial.    

Foster argues that his lawsuit should move forward because he has provided enough facts to support his claims that WPP and its media division retaliated against him after he reported what he believed were unlawful business practices—primarily misappropriating client media rebates and repackaging them for sale by its own principal trading unit.  

In late 2024 Foster submitted a report to WPP Media CEO Brian Lesser describing what he contended were legal and governance problems. Last month, Foster submitted details of a separate investigation by Sony that concluded that WPP Media siphoned $350 million in media rebates in China in a single year for its own use that properly belonged to clients. And he argues that the Sony probe backs up his own assertions that WPP wrongfully pocketed client rebates.   

A separate hearing has been scheduled for October where WPP will present its case for sealing the Sony material, which it has said is not relevant to the Foster litigation. Foster will argue why the Sony probe details should be allowed as evidence.  

According to Foster, Lesser acknowledged that the report raised "legal issues,” but instead of addressing the concerns, allegedly shared the report with an executive whom Foster had criticized.  

After that, Foster says he was gradually pushed aside, excluded from important meetings and projects, and ultimately fired in July 2025. 

“Defendants ask the Court to decide three questions on the pleadings: what Foster believed, what he communicated, and why he was the subject of months of retaliation,” Foster states in his latest motion. “Each is a question of fact that is not appropriately decided on a motion to dismiss.” 

He argues that the court must assume his factual allegations are true at this early stage. He argues WPP is asking the judge to weigh evidence and resolve factual disputes, which should happen later in the case, not on a motion to dismiss. 

Foster argues that Lesser knew about his concerns, and that retaliation began shortly after his report was delivered, and that there was a continuing pattern of adverse treatment leading up to his firing. 

He also notes that in previous filings by WPP, the company’s explanation for firing him is inconsistent—that it has characterized his departure as an "ignominious termination" while also saying it resulted from a global restructuring. Those explanations conflict and raise factual questions that should be resolved at trial rather than be dismissed now. 

Foster, who ran WPP’s content investment and branded entertainment unit, Motion, is seeking $100 million in severance and damages. He says the company offered him a seven-figure severance package conditioned on his silence, which he says he rejected.

17607: WPP Production Bids Farewell To Exclusive Bidding.

 

Campaign reported WPP Production has taken down its guidance on rigging the bidding system, a scheme that instructed staff to “actively convince” clients to assign all production work exclusively to the single White operating company, effectively avoiding the standard triple bid process.

The Trusted Growth Partner For The World’s Leading Brands appears to have reconsidered the questionable ethics and lack of transparency posed by such a maneuver.

Looks like WPP Production will have to earn jobs based on performance and capabilities—quite a challenge for the global flaming dumpster. Yikes.

17605: On Exposing Ugliness Of PepsiCo Pageantry.

 

More About Advertising published a lengthy perspective titled, “Ad agency pitch theatre is not a sport, but a beauty contest,” providing a probing analysis of PepsiCo global media duties shifting from Omnicom to Publicis Groupe.

The title poses two inherent flaws.

First, the PepsiCo business was awarded sans pitch. To play off the content concept, a winner was crowned without having to appear in the swimsuit competition—or any other pageant event. Indeed, it’s unclear how the decision was made, rendering the entire affair suspicious and potentially scandalous.

Second, the opinion piece was illustrated by the AI-generated image depicted above. A more accurate cartoon would have presented three Old White Guys, an Asian man, and a White woman. It’s an exclusive—and not very pretty—spectacle.

17604: Continuing Cola Wars Craziness.

 

More About Advertising opined on Ogilvy scoring a Coca-Cola European football project via a pitch featuring WPP Open X (presumably led by Ogilvy), Publicis’ Le Pub, Studio.One (led by former AKQA CEO Ajaz Ahmed), and Uncommon Creative Studio (co-founded by former Grey London Chairman and CCO Nils Leonard).

Was the pitch underway before Publicis Groupe landed PepsiCo global media duties?

Given WPP Open X was invented to solely serve Coke, facing competition from outsider enterprises does not seem to reflect favorably on the single White operating company and its offerings.

The scenario also indicates an industry shift, whereby reviews for major chunks of business are not necessarily closed affairs, exclusive privileges available only to a handful of White holding companies. Although it still involves cronyism and entitled relationships.

In the end, the self-proclaimed Trusted Growth Partner For The World’s Leading Brands hasn’t gained trust, realized growth, or been a partner for any brand in the world—and the global flaming dumpster now competes against ex-employees for assignments.

Coke goes great with humble pie.

More Coke pitches: this time Ogilvy’s on top

By Stephen Foster

They do love their pitches at Coca-Cola despite the creative part of the giant account supposedly safely harboured at WPP. This time it’s a WPP team led by Ogilvy reportedly winning a European football brief in a pitch against Publicis’ Le Pub (which handles Heineken), Ajaz Ahmed’s new Studio.One and Uncommon Creative Studio (there are nearly as many studios these days as pitches.)

Coke has invested heavily in football with some lively campaigns although this seems to be the first time it’s been a separate project. Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the Premier League in the UK.

Nobody’s saying anything on the record but it’s an interesting pitch. Studio.One, the new creative company formed by former AKQA boss Ajaz Ahmed has already picked up a Christmas assignment from Coke. Ogilvy has won (or retained) a number of Coke assignments recently and seems to be the lead agency on WPP Open X work. Must be frustrating, not to say exhausting, having to keep repeating yourself though.

17601: On Polluting The World With Mediocrity.

 

The Marketing Dive spotlighted Coca-Cola’s “The World Will Wait” campaign, revealing the lame concept creators as WPP Open X, led by Grey, supported by Ogilvy, WPP Production, and WPP Media.

Tactics are running globally, except in the US—so, the whole world will wait to possibly see it all.

In the not-too-distant-past real world, such mediocre work would not qualify WPP to win—let alone retain—Coke business.

Coke asks busy Gen Z, millennials to log off for quality meal time

A new global integrated campaign spans a pair of brand films, out-of-home ads and digital activations that champion shared meals.

By Peter Adams

Dive Brief:

• Coca-Cola is encouraging young consumers to slow down and unplug in a new integrated campaign that positions the soft drink as a pairing for shared meals and will roll out globally, except in the U.S., according to a press release.

• “The World Will Wait” depicts busy Gen Z and millennials who miss out on important bonding, including family dinner time, due to work and other tasks before being reminded of what matters most. The concept comes to life in a pair of videos, out-of-home advertising and digital activations.  

• In addition, Coke is enlisting influencers on a program that takes a page from the term AFK, or “away from keyboard,” which is popular in gaming. Creator partners on the effort will nudge consumers to put their phones down and live more in the moment.

Dive Insight:

Coke is emphasizing the emotional value of setting aside time to bond over meals as the brand tries to shore up a positioning as a pairing with food. “The World Will Wait” is targeted at Gen Z and millennials who are entering life stages, like juggling a career and young kids, where it can be more difficult to strike a work-life balance.

“In a world that constantly demands our attention, we’ve observed a growing tension among our consumers — especially younger generations — who truly desire genuine connection but often feel overwhelmed by the urgent pressures of daily life,” Arnab Roy, president of the global category at Coca‑Cola, said in a statement. “‘The World Will Wait’ is designed to inspire us and remind everyone that some moments are simply too important to postpone.”

The hero ad for the campaign shows a family that settles down for a home cooked meal only to realize dad is absent. When his son goes to check on him, the dad is cooped up in a dark office room and hidden behind a laptop screen, where he wordlessly signals he is still occupied with work. Later, the dad discovers a family portrait drawn by his son that shows him in the same light — face obfuscated by the demands of his job — which spurs him to log off and join the next gathering.

OOH ads carry a similar theme, bearing copy like “Laundry can wait. Fried Chicken & Coca‑Cola can’t” and “No one ever said ‘this meal could have been an email.’” In a twist on the tactic, Coke is also deploying social media influencers to ask people to set aside their screens to engage in quality time in real life. Digital elements will unlock rewards tied to the meals-forward messaging. 

“The World Will Wait,” which is running globally but not in the U.S., was developed by WPP Open X, led by the Grey agency and supported by Ogilvy, WPP Production and WPP Media.

Marketing around food has been in focus for Coke this year. An effort that rolled out in the spring enlisted the CPG’s wide range of U.S. food service partners, including Domino’s, Popeyes and Wendy’s, to show how Coke goes well with a variety of meals. “And a Coke” followed a yearslong platform from Pepsi that argues the soft drink rival is actually the superior meal pairing. “Food Deserves Pepsi” features guerilla marketing-style campaigns where undercover Pepsi agents storm into places like barbecues and fast-food chains to swap out other soda brands with PepsiCo’s flagship offering.  

The Coca-Cola Company saw net revenues rise 7% to $13.4 billion in Q2 and raised its full-year outlook around the earnings report last week. Coke commanded the No. 1 share of voice during the FIFA World Cup, which it sponsors, thanks to an advertising blitz that included heavy digital, social and creator activations. The campaign around the soccer tournament contributed to a 5% boost in volume growth for the namesake Coke brand, the company said.

17600: More Dizzying Dispatches From The Cola Wars.

 

Advertising Age reported WPP is primed to win The Coca-Cola Company global media, data, and technology review.

Although as previously noted by this blog, the “victory” is mostly the result of Publicis Groupe nabbing PepsiCo global media duties. That is, the single White operating company claims the Coke prize by virtue of a prime contender dropping out.

According to Ad Age, WPP will not participate in the upcoming review for Coke North America media chores—although the trade publication previously identified the global flaming dumpster as a participant—which are being phased out of Publicis Groupe, who took the business from WPP last year.

The dizzying antics are likely driving people to drink. But not drink Coke or Pepsi products.

WPP is set to win Coca-Cola’s global agency review

By Ewan Larkin and Brian Bonilla

WPP is set to win Coca-Cola Co.’s global media, data and technology review and will not participate in the food and beverage giant’s forthcoming North America media pitch, according to people familiar with the matter.

The decision comes nearly five years after Coca-Cola hired WPP for creative, media, data and marketing technology across its 200 or so brands, setting up a bespoke unit called Open X. In early 2025, WPP lost its grip on a significant chunk of that business when Coca-Cola Co. hired Publicis Groupe for its North America media account. WPP continues to handle Coca-Cola’s global creative and PR.

WPP’s retention was expected by many after Publicis Groupe, which it had been competing against for the business, agreed to take over global media duties for PepsiCo. The French holding company’s decision prompted Coca-Cola to launch a review of its media account in North America, where Publicis is the incumbent, Ad Age first reported this week.

Coca-Cola and WPP declined to comment.

Coca-Cola has also been in discussions with Omnicom and Dentsu about the North America media business. Dentsu already works with the company in Japan and Korea, which were excluded from the global review.

PepsiCo last week announced it had moved its global media to Publicis from Omnicom without a formal pitch, relocating one of the industry’s most coveted accounts. PepsiCo spent $1.7 billion on global net media in 2025, according to COMvergence, making it a significant account for Omnicom to lose. Omnicom “remains a critical strategic partner across many of our marketing drivers, from creative to sports and PR,” PepsiCo stated.

17598: On WPP Production Triple BS.

 

MediaPost reported WPP Production aims to be the go-to vendor—and exclusive vendor—for every client served by the global flaming dumpster.

One controversial point involves the intentional goal to avoid standard triple bidding by offering three bids from enterprises within the WPP Production network.

In other words, the single White operating company theory is bullshit. WPP remains a confederacy of companies competing amongst themselves for billable hours—or outcomes-based remuneration.

Plus, it’s highly unlikely WPP would ever allow one enterprise to low-bid against sister firms. The scenario invites a rigged bidding system, whereby clients might be encouraged to choose a vendor sneakily pre-selected by WPP.

It all inspires a new tagline for WPP Production: From those wonderful folks who gave you a global crime scheme in media.

On a sidenote, the MediaPost report was illustrated with a metaphorical image of a funnel (depicted above). A more appropriate object would’ve been a toilet.

WPP Production, APA Lock Horns Over Triple Bids

By Steve McClellan

WPP Production is urging clients to do all of their production work with the holding company—thereby avoiding outsourcing to independent production houses-- and at least one production trade group says WPP’s stand is essentially an assault on “the free market in commercials production.”  

Leaked internal documents from the holding company’s production arm state that "Our goal is to avoid traditional commercial triple bidding by proving the value of a centralized partnership by positioning WPP Production as the default, trusted partner.” 

Triple bidding is the standard urged by trade groups like Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) in the U.S. and the Advertising Producers Association (APA) in the UK. 

The leaked documents suggest a way that WPP can circumvent the commercial bid process: 

“If a client or creative team requires triple bidding to assess different options, we should evaluate if WPP Production can provide all three bids internally from the same or different markets. We can satisfy this need by offering three different production approaches, locations, and director treatments within the same country or within the region—keeping the work entirely within WPP Production.” 

Steve Davies, CEO of the APA, issued a response that in part reads, “This is a serious threat to the free market in commercials production — and to the independent production, editing and post companies within it — but only if clients don’t see through it. I think they will.”
 
“Professionalism means putting clients’ interests ahead of your own. WPP has effectively announced it’s doing the opposite,” Davies asserted.  
 
The triple bid, he added, is central to the collaborative system between agencies and production companies that enables “great work.” 

WPP Production took issue with the APA’s assessment.  

“Any suggestion that WPP Production misleads clients or undermines fair competition is fundamentally wrong,” the firm responded. “Selectively quoting from a comprehensive document doesn’t fairly reflect what is a completely transparent process. 

“We respect competitive bidding and work with independent production companies, always adhering to client contracts and procurement requirements. We make decisions with clients, helping them find the right solution for each brief and considering WPP capabilities alongside specialist partners.”

17597: On Omnicom Experiencing PTSD (PepsiCo Termination Shockingly Delivered).

 

Digiday reported on Omnicom conducting a post mortem after being dumped by PepsiCo sans formal review or advance notice.

Expect the final analysis report to succinctly read: WTF.

‘Certainly a disappointment’: Omnicom CFO’s verdict on losing PepsiCo to Publicis

By Seb Joseph

 

Omnicom’s CFO is still trying to get his head around what went wrong. It’s been a little over a week since the holdco lost one of its longest running clients to Publicis. He called the loss “disappointing” and “unfortunate.” Now, he and the rest of the C-suite are doing a post-mortem to figure out why it happened. 

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia and Technology Conference earlier today, Phil Angelastro gave a sobering take on PepsiCo’s decision to walk away after more than 25 years. 

“The Pepsi situation is an unfortunate one,” he said. “It’s certainly a disappointment from our perspective — you cannot sugarcoat it.” 

The comments all but confirm that this move blindsided Omnicom’s execs. Holdco bosses like Angelastro usually see this kind of switch coming. Sources with knowledge of the matter said his team didn’t, and has spent the past week trying to work out why. Why would PepsiCo after all those years walk away from Omnicom without even giving it the chance to fight for it? Speculation has been rife. Was it because PepsiCo’s CMO had a relationship with Publicis in a previous role? Or maybe the advertiser simply wasn’t impressed with whatever Omnicom was pitching in the wake of the IPG acquisition.

Whatever the reason, Omnicom will want it nailed down fast. 

“We are doing a detailed kind of deconstruction of how it happened and what we should have been doing differently to prevent it from happening,” Angelastro said at the conference. “We are not completed with that process but we are going to learn some lessons from this, and certainly we are going to take them very seriously.”

In short, he said the holdco isn’t looking for excuses during this analysis. The aim, Angelastro continued, is to do a root cause analysis so that we can improve the business and our processes going forward.” That matters most for holding onto what’s left of the PepsiCo relationship since Omnicom still handles the company’s PR, creative and some sports marketing. 

It could also help the holdco get ahead of other CMOs who might be watching PepsiCo’s move and wondering if they should follow suit. Those clients will want to know what happened and whether it changes anything for them. Needless to say Angelastro has some tough questions in the weeks ahead. 

“We don’t think it’s going to have a significant impact on the business going forward when we get to 2027 and our expectations,” the ad exec said. “There is still quite a bit of time between now and ‘27 and we will be aggressively pursuing new business as we always do.”

His confidence lines up with the numbers, even if the underlying figures come from outside estimates rather than Omnicom’s own disclosures. According to ComVergence, PepsiCo’s core global media spend sits at roughly $1.8 billion. Madison and Wall estimates Omnicom’s actual fee revenue from that business at closer to $100 million, a fraction of the headline figure, against a company running a 21% EBITA margin. That’s an abosrbale hit on the holdco’s bottom line based on the numbers available. The exposure that is harder to model is reputational — more than 25 years with a client, Apple, Renault-Nissan, McDonald’s and several others all running on the same kind of long, unreviewed relationship Omnicom just watched come apart. 

Whether that means Omnicom goes after Coca-Cola’s media business, which is now in play following Publicis’ decision to relinquish its North America media account and back out of contesting the rest of it after the PepsiCo deal remains to be seen. If it is, Angelastro offered scant detail. 

“We value the relationship [with PepsiCo] but certainly there will be a little bit more flexibility in terms of what we pursue in the future.”

17594: On The Front Lines Of The Cola Wars.

 

Advertising Age reported obvious news: The Coca-Cola Company is launching a review of its North America media account following incumbent Publicis Groupe nabbing global media duties for PepsiCo.

Or maybe not, as PepsiCo handed its media business to Publicis Groupe sans a formal review.

Ad Age stated potential pitch participants include WPP, Omnicom, and Dentsu.

For WPP, it would be a comeback of sorts, as the global flaming dumpster lost the North America media assignment to Publicis Groupe last year.

Despite losing PepsiCo global media responsibilities, Omnicom is still a “critical strategic partner” for the brand, so there could be potential conflicts picking up Coke media chores.

The scenario poses a unique challenge. As repeatedly noted by this blog, competitions for major chunks of business are typically closed affairs, exclusive privileges available only to a handful of White holding companies.

Yet in this case, the iconic Coca-Cola might have to settle for a lesser choice because the stronger players are unavailable.

Another unique aspect is Publicis Groupe essentially dumped Coke in favor of PepsiCo.

Coca-Cola was once consumed for medicinal purposes. Now it’s just making everyone feel sick.

Coca-Cola to review North America media after Publicis wins PepsiCo

By Ewan Larkin and Brian Bonilla

Coca-Cola Co. is readying a review of its North America media account after incumbent Publicis Groupe agreed to take over global media duties for PepsiCo, according to people familiar with the matter.

The beverage giant is said to be in discussions with WPP, Omnicom and Dentsu, the last of which works with Coca-Cola in Japan and Korea. Publicis won Coca-Cola’s North America media business from WPP, the primary global incumbent, just last year.

Coca-Cola declined to comment for this story.

Publicis had been pitching for Coke’s global media, data and tech business, competing against WPP, but the status of Publicis’ involvement is now unclear following the PepsiCo win. It also wasn’t immediately clear whether WPP, which also handles Coca-Cola’s global creative and PR, will assume those global duties.

Publicis, Dentsu and Omnicom declined to comment. WPP wasn’t immediately available for comment.

PepsiCo last week announced it had moved its global media to Publicis from Omnicom without a formal pitch, relocating one of the industry’s most coveted accounts. PepsiCo spent $1.7 billion on global net media in 2025, according to COMvergence, making it a significant account for Omnicom to lose. Omnicom “remains a critical strategic partner across many of our marketing drivers, from creative to sports and PR,” PepsiCo stated.

In a statement last week, an Omnicom spokesperson called PepsiCo’s move “one client’s decision in a year in which Omnicom Media has built tremendous momentum [with] leading brands across multiple categories,” pointing to wins with brands including Adidas, Dyson, IBM, Subway and Uber.

“After an extraordinarily long and successful partnership, PepsiCo has decided to move its media business elsewhere. We are proud of the work we have done together over three decades as partners in innovation and impact,” the spokesperson stated last week. “Nothing about yesterday’s decision changes that.”